Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Another enhancement to gaming machines includes a top box being mounted to the base portion of a gaming machine. The top box may comprise a second display, lights, animations, or other features designed to attract players to the machine. Top boxes are particularly popular with “slant-top” gaming machines, which have a display that slants in the direction of a player at an angle of approximately thirty degrees. A slant-top machine having a top box is often taller than an average player and is generally substantially larger and heavier than other gaming machines. In many slant-top machines, parts may be replaced from the top box to facilitate theme changes and conversions in the machine. One example of a slant-top machine is the Bluebird™ machine, manufactured by WMS® Gaming.
Currently, shipping and installing gaming machines with top boxes suffer from numerous drawbacks. Shipping the gaming machine with the top box separated from the base is disadvantageous because the considerable weight of the top box requires two or more operators to lift and install the heavy and cumbersome top box over the base unit, risking serious injury. This risk is aggravated because the operators must take care to ensure that the top box and the base unit are aligned properly, requiring lifting and re-lifting the top box. Moreover, when the top boxes and base units are delivered separately, the operator must manually match up the serial number of the top box to the serial number of the base portion. Additionally, the operator can be confused about whether a particular base unit is to be installed with a top box. Thus, a significant amount of manpower and time is required to install or convert a top box.
Thus, a need exists for an improved gaming machine. The present invention is directed to satisfying one or more of these needs and solving other problems.